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by Deanlu
Summary: Just something I was thinking about on the way home. Tell me what you think. Please review.


**Collapse**

**Rizzoli and Isles are the property of TNT and Tess Gerritson. I'm just borrowing them for a while.**

**Well I had this idea. Not sure it's good, but we will see. Please review. Please. Pretty please. Please.**

"What's going on gentlemen?" Jane asked as she exited her car. She had dropped Frost off at the precinct when she saw Maura and her mother entering. She decided she needed to go for a short ride. She had told Frost she forgot to pick something up, but the look on his face told her that he knew she was avoiding Maura still. She had been avoiding Maura ever since she had shot her father several weeks ago. Once Maura had gotten over the initial shock she had understood and not blamed Jane. However, things had been off ever since then. Especially considering Jane had helped Patrick escape from the hospital without telling her partner, Korsak, or Agent Dean. She hadn't even told Maura, nor would she. Patrick and Jane had agreed to not tell her. They had also agreed that next time they met all bets were off. Jane sighed, but things had never really returned to normal. Jane, however, remained Maura's best friend. Never letting on that anything was wrong. Now twenty minutes from the precinct she had come on a crowd near one of the buildings they were pulling down to make way for new condos.

"We got a kid down below and he won't come out." One of the burly workmen said as he turned to face Jane. Jane pushed through the rest of the crowd and looked down at a hole under the foundation of the building. She looked up at the sky shaking her head. The cold Boston wind caused her to shiver. They had been lucky there had been no snow. However, that had changed with today's forecast. The weather man had called for snow the following day and now clouds were moving in to the city.

"You sure he isn't stuck?" The opening was just big enough Jane figured for her to fit inside. Some of the dirt fell from the top as she gripped her hand to the side.

"I couldn't tell the kid hasn't stopped crying for us to get an answer." The workman grumpily responded.

"Well, have you called 911 to get him out?" Jane looked up from where she knelt looking into the hole. She could just make out the boys form.

"Listen lady if I called 911 for every little problem I would never get my work done." The foreman said as he approached motioning the workman off to the side. "Can you get him out? He is holding up this end being dropped. We were going to let it fall when we had the area cleared. In fact, George was just checking the area when he found the boy." Jane sighed; she should have stayed at home today.

"Okay, I'll get him. Hang on a sec. Jane took her cell out and made a call to Frost. Her partner didn't pick up, so she left a note on where she was and she should be back in thirty minutes. Jane took her jacket off her badge flashed in the sun.

"You're a cop?" The manager asked.

"Yeah, Detective Jane Rizzoli. I work at the BPD precinct twenty minutes from here." Jane said as she moved to the opening of the hole.

"Tom Francis, I'm the foreman of the site." The foreman walked over to the opening with her. "How far does this go back?"

"About twenty five, maybe thirty feet. This site is riddled with small caverns under the building. Some are natural, but some were dug out. We have been working on clearing this end out because the homeless try to sneak in at night and sleep down there." Tom helped Jane ease into the edge of the hole. She could hear the young boy crying and sniffling.

"Hey, she called softly to the young boy. You need to come out. Can you come over here and I will help you out?" The boy was way back inside. Jane could barely see his face in the late afternoon sun. She looked up at the foreman. "You have a flashlight?" Tom nodded and yelled over to one of the work man. The foreman noticed TV 35 had arrived when the workman brought over a flashlight.

"Larry, get those people back and keep them off the property. Okay?" The workman nodded gathering several other workmen as he went to hold back the crowd and the TV crew.

"Okay listen, I'm going to squeeze in here and try to get to him. Do you have a small shovel or something in case he is stuck?" The foreman grabbed a small shovel from nearby, but it was too big. "Okay, have Larry hunt up something a little smaller." The foreman nodded and shouted to Larry as Jane began her slow crawl to the boy. Half way into the hole she had figured out this may not have been a good idea. There was building debris jutting below the surface and the ground kept falling in at places. "Tom, there is a lot of ground falling in down here. Keep everyone off this area if you can."

""Rizzoli, I have that shovel." Jane backed up grabbing the shovel that the foreman had tossed toward her. She now focused on the kid. He was a good 15 feet ahead of her. Slowly she moved trying not to upset the earth above her and avoid the debris that was sticking through the surface and sides of the hole. "I'm going to need a good bath after this one. Wonder if Maur would help me get the dirt off?" Jane stopped and closed her eyes letting the pain of their estrangement wash over her for a moment. She heard a muffled sob which brought her back to her situation. "Hey, can you see me?" Jane used the flashlight keeping it low so she could see the boy but not blinding him.

"Ye…ee…eess." Jane smiled at the stuttered response and sniffle. The boy glanced at the boy.

"What's your name?" Jane asked as she crawled forward.

"Clarence, Clarence Thomas." Jane stopped for a moment and just stared. The boy was around seven or eight years old. He reminded Jane of a little of Frankie.

"How come you wouldn't come out?" Jane asked as she got close to the boy to notice his foot was caught in a hole that opened in the ground. "Well, that explains everything. Okay Clarence can you shift just a little so I can free your foot?" The boy nodded and moved. Officer Rizzoli began the slow process of removing the dirt from around the boy's foot.

**Back at BPD..**

A Pow wow was taking place in one of the interrogation rooms. Inside were Maura, Frost, Angela, Frankie, Korsak and Crowe.

"I'm telling you Maura she is scared you're going to reject her again. It's why she has been friend Jane, not girlfriend Jane." Angela said softly.

"She has been watching over you Maura." Crowe said looking a little uncomfortable. "She made me tail you on your date the other night. She said if you were going out with someone who wasn't her she had a responsibility to make sure the guy treated you like a lady." Maura's eyes went wide with this information.

"Yeah, she made me run a background check on him. She cares a lot Maura. She just is afraid of hurting you again." Korsak said. "If you want her back you're going to have to fight for her. You don't want to be in my place." Maura shook her head. She had thought things were getting back to normal. After all, Jane went to lunch with her, laughed at her jokes, acted concerned when she was upset, and basically did everything they did before the shooting. But Jane refused to spend the night, touch Maura, or even spend long periods alone with her like movie night. Maura had been at her whit's end when she had asked Angela to lunch to discuss the problem. Angela had decided they needed the guys help.

"God, I told her it wasn't a date. It was a friend from college. The man is gay. Damn you Jane Rizzoli, Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Maura was angry. Did Jane think their relationship meant so little to her that she wouldn't try to mend it? Maybe she did. Maura thought back to the first few days after Doyle's shooting. Her thoughts and emotions had been in chaos. She had taken all her pain out on Jane. Jane had never fought back, but only been steadfast through all of it. She had given Maura the room she needed and then slowly started to wheedle her way back in when Maura had signaled it in small things. But now that she thought about it there had only been so far Jane would go and no farther.

"You know Janie. She won't push. She looks out for her friends and family. She puts herself last." Korsak softly spoke looking at Maura.

"Maura, you need to get a little more aggressive with her. I know my sister. She will stall till the cows come home. Think about how long it took her to ask you to be her girlfriend." Frankie said. Maura got up and looked through the reflective glass of the room. God, how had things come to this? Fine, if it was a fight for Jane then she would fight. After all, she had fought serial killers, old and new boyfriends, family, and work for her. She would fight once again against her greatest adversary in their love, Jane! Maura spun on her Gucci heels.

"Fine, if it's a fight she wants. It's a fight she will get. However, I don't want any of you to give her a place to hide. This ends today. Jane Rizzoli will come home as my girlfriend today." Maura said as she stared at all of them. Everyone cheered in the interrogation room. Suddenly the door burst open revealing one of Frankie's patrol buddies.

"Frankie, you gotta come quickly." His friend was out of breath. "It's your sister. Come on, now!" Frankie got up and followed his friend to the brick where the television was broadcasting live. Maura, Korsak, Crowe and Angela were right behind him.

"In an amazing heroic turn of events Detective Rizzoli of the Boston Police Department has entered into an unstable underground cavern to save a young boys life. She entered twenty minutes ago after having the on-site manager call rescue response." The lady reporter said.

"Amazing! Kitty, can you tell us has she reached the young man yet?" The Channel 35 desk reporter asked the infield reporter.

"No Chuck. She has asked for a shovel and flashlight about ten minutes ago. Information that was relayed to us by some of the workers says she is 30 feet underground attempting to free the young boy's foot." Kitty stated as the cameraman drew the picture in for a close up. It was obvious from the angle of the camera that he had found an area to look down on what was going on. Maura started shaking. Jane what are you doing? She thought to herself. Next to her Angela's hands had flown over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Quickly Frost and Korsak found the location of Jane's whereabouts.

"Boston Police Department got an amazing officer in Jane Rizzoli. Don't you agree Kitty?" The scene at the work site suddenly became hectic. Workers started running over to the underground hole. "Yes, Chuck. Hang on we have been told that the officer has freed the young boy." Maura watched the scene. Workers were tromping all over the area above the hole while the foreman of the site seemed to yelling something at them.

"Frost, can we get there?" Maura asked, the nervous tension in her voice causing it to squeak. Frost nodded grabbing Maura's arm and headed out the door with Korsak. Frankie asked his mother to stay put.

"You bring her back Frankie! Please, bring her back." Angela's voice dropped to a whisper as Crowe helped her sit down in a nearby chair.

**Back at the worksite…  
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"I said get off the overhead ground you idiots. You're going to cause the tunnel to collapse." Workers cleared the area but the unstable earth was already raining down underground. "Rizzoli! You have to hurry." Jane freed the boy and pushed him toward the light.

"Crawl Clarence. Quickly!" The young boy didn't have to be told twice. He crawled as fast as he could for the light. Sections of dirt began to collapse behind him. "GO!" Jane yelled as she followed moving as fast as she could. The boy made it to the entrance as the foreman pulled him free the entire tunnel collapsed on top of the detective.

"Rizzoli!" The foreman yelled. He handed off the boy to Larry, who was standing nearby. "Quick, we need shovels. Now!" The foreman's on site workman scrambled for shovels and began digging frantically. Sirens sounded as ambulances, police cars, and fire department arrived. Maura, Frost, and Korsak poured out of one of the cars and took off running. "Stop, Larry. Come here." The foreman walked ten paces forward to an opening. "Rizzoli! Can you hear me?" Tom looked over at Frost as he approached. The badge flashing out from under his suit. "Do you have a flashlight?" Frost turned and ran back to the car. Maura and Korsak stared down into the hole seeing nothing. Frost returned handing the light to the foreman. Tom peered into the darkness of the hole searching for any sign of the detective. He found it in the shape of her booted heel. "Here, she is here!" They began digging as Korsak held Maura back. Fifteen minutes they dug removing dirt. Finally Tom reached her shoulder area. "Hold on! He and Frost reached down grabbing, pulling, tugging, and finally freeing the detective. Quickly she was moved to stable ground and laid down.

"She's not breathing. Maura?" Maura was there instantly. She checked Jane's airway removing dirt. She checked for a pulse which was weak, but present. She began rescue breathing forcing air in and out. Jane was so still that Korsak thought she was dead. Suddenly Jane began coughing. Maura turned her on her side to make sure she expelled any of the dirt or foreign objects that may be in her airway. The ambulance crew had oxygen at the ready as she collapsed back on the ground. Maura leaned over as an oxygen mask was handed to her. Before she could place it over Jane's face the detective reached up and pulled her down.

"Almost Maura, almost gone." Jane lost consciousness as Maura stared down in horror. She quickly covered her nose and mouth with the oxygen mask. The ambulance crew took over as Maura pulled back. She stumbled into Frost's arms as she watched Jane being loaded on the stretcher and stabilized.

"What did she say?" Maura shook her head. Trying to figure out what the detective meant. Soon they were heading to the ambulance.

**24 hours later…**

"I don't understand it. She isn't even fighting the doctors Maura." Angela was speaking quietly to the ME in the hallway. Jane was still on oxygen as her breathing wasn't quite where the doctor wanted it. The detective had several cuts and scrapes plus deep puncture to her arm from a sharp object. The doctors had debrised the wound and pumped her full of antibiotics. She just nodded this morning after you left when he spoke to her. Maura nodded watching the uneven breathing of the detective.

"I'll see what I can find out. Thank you Angela, go home and get some rest." Angela nodded kissing the ME on the cheek.

"Don't let her push you away Maura. Fight for her, even here." Angela whispered softly and then turned heading down the hallway. Maura looked at the ceiling girding herself for the inevitable. Slowly she made her way to Jane's bed.

"You can stop faking it now. She is gone." Maura said firmly. Jane's eyes flew open as she looked at Maura. Maura smirked and shook her head as she took a seat on the bed.

"You don't play fair Maura." Jane relaxed back in the bed. She shivered a little when she closed her eyes, but kept them shut as the darkness of the cave came back to her, the weight of the dirt bearing down on her forcing the air from her lungs. Those last few moments of consciousness she sent all her love that would never be returned to Maura.

Jane heard the door to the room close. She looked up at a very angry and very determined Maura Isles.

"What did you mean when you said Almost Maura, almost gone?" Jane looked away but felt the ME's hands on her face turning it back to meet her eyes. "No more hiding Jane. What did you mean?"

"I almost died this time, but even more than that a part of me that is yours almost died." Jane said softly. It was Maura who tried to slip away now, but Jane grabbed her hands. "When I was buried alive I saw my life flash before my eyes. Yeah, I know cliché. But I did and the one major regret I had was you. I'm sorry. I need you. I have been trying to be patient, to give you time. I can live without you, but I don't want too." Tears leaked down Jane's cheek.

"I'm sorry too. I wanted things to go back to normal so fast that I thought they were until I noticed you wouldn't stay with me anymore. I couldn't understand why until I heard myself when I spoke with you. I have been dancing around that day. Avoiding the talk I knew we needed to be back to normal or really back to the right pathway." Maura leaned over letting her head rest on Jane's chest listening to her breath. She looked up when she heard the slight rattle.

"Yes, I have a chest cold. Doctor Jameson told me earlier when ma was out of the room. He's treating me for it right now. I was getting sick before helping the boy. I knew it, but ignored it. I don't think I know how to care for myself anymore." Jane sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired, but she needed to take care of this now. She opened her eyes.

"I apologize Jane. You did what you should that day. I forgot you were an officer on top of my girlfriend. You did right. You didn't even get mad at me afterward when all I could spew at you was venom and anger. You just kept caring for me." Jane tilted her head sideway and gave Maura a slight smile.

"You did the same with me so many times. Why would I have done any less?" Maura closed her eyes. Absolution…forgiveness…some people dreamed of it all their life. How had she been gifted with it through Jane? "I love you Maura. I forgive you. I did that day and every day after when you were angry." Tears began running down Maura's face as Jane softly tugged her down tucking her into her side. "I love you Maura Isles. You can't scare a Rizzoli away. We are sort of your worst nightmare of stalkers after we find someone we love." Maura giggled and hugged Jane close.

"Are we going to be okay?" Maura asked softly snuggling into Jane. Jane coughed a little. Maura started to rise until Jane gave her a look and tucked her back into her side.

"Only if you agree to stay with me and be mine." Jane said softly. Sleep was pulling at her, but she refused to give up until Maura answered her question. The question she had thought when she was buried alive. She thought she knew the answer and had almost given up. Until she had felt Maura's soft lips forcing air into her, making her live again. Then she knew she had the wrong answer. She had almost given up when she shouldn't have.

"Yes, Jane. I will always be yours even when you don't want me to be. I will never abandon you like that again." Jane sighed and then whispered gently into Maura's ear.

"Go to sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open. We will talk some more later." Jane softly kissed the top of Maura's head. Then let sleep begin to pull her under without the fear of the darkness this time. Maura collapsed inward finally allowing the pent up emotion to leave her and usher her into a healing sleep.

Aristotle once said, "A tragedy is a representation of an action that is whole and complete and of a certain magnitude. A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end." Jane finally understood that idea from Aristotle in her own life. She had only seen it from the perspective of the victims and the predators she put away each day. It was a whole other view when it was you. Briefly her eyes fluttered open and she gazed down at Maura. Thank God this tragedy had finally reached its ending.


End file.
